https://www.scmp.com/rss/520904/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma Jess Ma A 23-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding Hongkongers by sending text messages that appeared to come from registered companies and government departments by using a fraudulent mobile station to jam phone signals. Police said on Wednesday they arrested the man earlier this week in connection with 28 complaints concerning suspicious text messages that purported to be from the registered accounts of government departments, delivery firms and online payment systems. The Office of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3299275/hongkonger-arrested-over-sms-scam-using-radio-jammer-show-official-sign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3299275/hongkonger-arrested-over-sms-scam-using-radio-jammer-show-official-sign?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Feb 2025 07:15:59 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Scammers could be using illegal radio jammers to transmit text messages with a sender ID prefixed with a hashtag, a symbol only available to registered companies, Hong Kong communications authorities warned on Friday. The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) said some people had reported receiving suspicious text messages with a “#” symbol, used in the “SMS Sender Registration Scheme” that was implemented in 2023 as part of efforts to combat phishing scams. Under the scheme, messages... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3298791/scammers-may-be-sending-sms-messages-sign-hong-kong-agency-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3298791/scammers-may-be-sending-sms-messages-sign-hong-kong-agency-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 16:20:03 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Drone shows are all the rage for celebrations in Hong Kong but industry leaders have urged organisers to be creative with content and for the government to ease restrictions to cater to locals and tourists. From Tai Po and Wong Tai Sin to the waterfront in Wan Chai and Chai Wan, a series of aerial performances involving hundreds of drones had been lined up ahead of National Day although some were cancelled amid rainy weather. For the first time, the National Day celebration on October 1 will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3279667/hong-kong-dazzled-drone-shows-creative-content-fewer-rules-needed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3279667/hong-kong-dazzled-drone-shows-creative-content-fewer-rules-needed-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:30:07 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Artificial intelligence (AI) has been lauded as a new driver for growth and productivity. But AI must be more than a profit-making tool. We must seize on its potential to accelerate a sustainable,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3275611/how-ai-can-be-more-money-spinner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3275611/how-ai-can-be-more-money-spinner?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2024 03:30:12 +0000 Hong Kong police have arrested six Malaysians and five local residents alleged to be involved in an international HK$61 million-plus (US$7.8 million) phone scam racket after a crackdown on the first international gang found to have set up bases in the city. Officers revealed on Saturday that they broke up the group’s four centres of operation in Hong Kong on Thursday. Police said six Malaysian men and five Hongkongers, three women and two men, aged between 20 and 67, were arrested on suspicion... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3275779/hong-kong-police-cut-alleged-city-based-international-phone-scam-gang-first-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3275779/hong-kong-police-cut-alleged-city-based-international-phone-scam-gang-first-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2024 12:46:55 +0000 The number of online scams in Hong Kong increased by less than 1 per cent in the first five months of the year compared with the same period in 2023, but financial losses jumped by 37 per cent to HK$2.2 billion (US$282 million). Police handled 13,097 online fraud reports between January and May, an increase of 113 cases compared with the 12,984 logged in the same period last year. But the amount lost was up from the HK$1.61 billion in the same period last year. A police insider said the higher... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3268622/hong-kong-police-reveal-small-rise-number-online-scams-amounts-swindled-37?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3268622/hong-kong-police-reveal-small-rise-number-online-scams-amounts-swindled-37?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong police have issued a scam alert after fraudsters sent phishing messages under the guise of a promotion by retail chain Mannings to trick residents into clicking on a hyperlink for a bogus website. The force said the scammers’ messages claimed that reward points collected by victims would “expire today” and duped them into using the sham website to buy electronic products for an “extremely low price” to spend the fake points. They then obtained credit card details that victims entered... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3268857/scammers-impersonate-hong-kong-retail-chain-mannings-cheat-public-fake-messages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3268857/scammers-impersonate-hong-kong-retail-chain-mannings-cheat-public-fake-messages?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2024 08:39:01 +0000 Hong Kong’s communication watchdog has received 51 complaints about a television current affairs programme that featured a whirlwind romance between an elderly local man and a younger mainland Chinese woman. The Office of the Communications Authority said on Thursday that as of June 17, it had received 51 complaints from viewers about TVB show Scoop over its coverage of the couple. “Complaints include feedback on how the programme’s plot was indecent and had poor values and about its content... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3267367/hong-kong-media-watchdog-hit-51-complaints-over-mr-and-mrs-ho-featured-tv-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3267367/hong-kong-media-watchdog-hit-51-complaints-over-mr-and-mrs-ho-featured-tv-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 08:23:32 +0000 Some Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) customers have been left without internet, mobile and television services because of damage to an underground cable in Kowloon. The telecoms operator later said at about 11pm on Tuesday that all affected services had resumed normal operation. The Highways Department received a report from the contractor responsible for the Central Kowloon Route – Yau Ma Tei East at about 11am that it had damaged an underground optical fibre cable “by accident” while carrying out... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3266207/damaged-cable-leaves-some-hong-kong-telecom-customers-without-internet-mobile-services?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3266207/damaged-cable-leaves-some-hong-kong-telecom-customers-without-internet-mobile-services?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:14:37 +0000 Hashtags have a new job, fighting phishing in Hong Kong. The prefix “#”, already familiar on social media for the cross-referencing of content, will soon help verify the identity of mobile service providers when they send text messages to customers. Announced by the Office of the Communications Authority, the system creates a way to block potential scam text messages from unregistered senders. The latest positive step to fight cybercrime is to be welcomed, but it only stands a chance if met with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246435/hong-kong-hashtag-fight-against-scams-needs-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246435/hong-kong-hashtag-fight-against-scams-needs-support?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Dec 2023 22:30:16 +0000 Text messages sent by more than 20 Hong Kong mobile service providers will carry the “#” prefix from next Thursday as part of a watchdog-led effort to combat phishing scams. The Office of the Communications Authority announced the launch of the “SMS Sender Registration Scheme” on Wednesday, with the first round of 23 network providers able to register their official numbers with the industry watchdog to receive dedicated sender IDs. “Other SMS messages with sender IDs containing ‘#’ but not sent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3245787/text-messages-23-hong-kong-mobile-service-providers-carry-prefix-next-thursday-part-anti-phishing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3245787/text-messages-23-hong-kong-mobile-service-providers-carry-prefix-next-thursday-part-anti-phishing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2023 13:40:02 +0000 Oscar Liu,Lo Hoi-ying Oscar Liu,Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong’s securities watchdog has blacklisted and blocked access to two cryptocurrency websites suspected of scamming investors using false claims, after it was recently accused of acting too slowly in alerting victims who allegedly lost more than HK$1.6 billion through two fraudulent platforms. Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) director of enforcement Damon Cheng Tak-ka on Wednesday said the two websites – HongKongDAO and BitCuped – were placed on its alert list after they were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3244095/hong-kongs-securities-and-futures-commission-blacklists-blocks-access-2-cryptocurrency-websites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3244095/hong-kongs-securities-and-futures-commission-blacklists-blocks-access-2-cryptocurrency-websites?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 11:16:39 +0000 Fraudsters have managed to con 2,506 Hong Kong residents out of HK$705 million in the first nine months of this year despite mobile operators sending out more than 117,000 alerts a day warning people to watch out for scams. About nine people were duped over the phone every day between January and September. The latest official data showed 278 monthly cases during the period, up from 235 last year and 95 in 2021. Police confirmed a surge in the number of “guess who I am” phone scams, with 1,822... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3242853/hongkongers-scammed-out-hk705-million-9-months-phone-tricks-telecoms-companies-sending-thousands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3242853/hongkongers-scammed-out-hk705-million-9-months-phone-tricks-telecoms-companies-sending-thousands?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Nov 2023 12:30:10 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The Office of the Communications Authority would like to respond to the letter, “Registering numbers has not ended fraud”, published on July 1. Any form of deception is a serious criminal offence... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3226954/telecoms-watchdog-and-police-are-actively-combating-phone-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3226954/telecoms-watchdog-and-police-are-actively-combating-phone-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:30:09 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I am writing in response to the news about two little girls who accidentally ate candy suspected of containing prohibited cannabidiol (CBD) that was left at home by their father. As a drug abuse... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3225904/negligent-parents-drug-problems-must-be-made-receive-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3225904/negligent-parents-drug-problems-must-be-made-receive-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2023 03:30:15 +0000 A 65-year-old accountant became this year’s phishing victim who lost the most money when he clicked on a hyperlink sent to his mobile phone, allowing scammers to take more than HK$700,000 (US$89,371) over several days, Hong Kong police have said. The man received a text message in January that warned him the points he had collected had almost expired and urged him to exchange them for souvenirs and rewards. He entered his credit card information on the bogus reward platform he was directed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3221045/hong-kong-accountant-loses-hk700000-phishing-scam-joining-1408-others-who-collectively-lost-hk261?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3221045/hong-kong-accountant-loses-hk700000-phishing-scam-joining-1408-others-who-collectively-lost-hk261?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 May 2023 23:30:11 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Data has been dubbed a vital asset for digital transformation. It is a building block in the development of digital economies and crucial for new technologies like virtual asset transactions,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3218232/hong-kongs-it-ambitions-must-be-bolstered-cybersecurity-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3218232/hong-kongs-it-ambitions-must-be-bolstered-cybersecurity-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Apr 2023 03:30:08 +0000 Hong Kong is known as one of the safest cities in the region. But that well deserved reputation is being put to the test as phone scams and online frauds continue to prey on the weak and vulnerable in recent years. The government must step up publicity and prevention lest more victims fall for these insidious and increasingly sophisticated traps. The latest crackdown involving the collaboration of the Office of the Communications Authority is a positive step forward. Starting from May,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3217265/use-every-possible-tool-beat-scammers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3217265/use-every-possible-tool-beat-scammers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Apr 2023 21:30:09 +0000 The number of phone scam cases in Hong Kong dropped by nearly 50 per cent in the first three months of this year from the last quarter of 2022, but police said it was too early to conclude if the new mandatory real-name registration of SIM cards could curb the crime. Police released the latest figures as they pledged to strengthen cooperation with banks to block fraud, including identifying potential victims by reviewing their transaction records. The force is also considering adopting similar... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216959/phone-scams-drop-hong-kong-too-early-tell-if-mandatory-real-name-registration-sim-cards-working?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216959/phone-scams-drop-hong-kong-too-early-tell-if-mandatory-real-name-registration-sim-cards-working?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Apr 2023 23:00:10 +0000 Anti-fraud voice alerts or messages to warn Hong Kong mobile phone users about potential scammers will be displayed on all calls with the “+852” prefix from next month, the city’s communications watchdog has said. The effort is part of a wider push by authorities to tackle swindles carried out over the phone, which jumped 148 per cent in 2022 over the year before and cost victims a total of HK$1 billion (US$127.4 million). The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) on Tuesday said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216692/fresh-crackdown-mobile-phone-fraudsters-targeting-hong-kong-announced-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216692/fresh-crackdown-mobile-phone-fraudsters-targeting-hong-kong-announced-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Apr 2023 10:51:21 +0000 Hongkongers who have not registered their mobile SIM card on or before Thursday under the city’s new real-name mandate will lose their service, as well as access to online banking and other facilities. All SIM cards must be registered with a real name, date of birth and Hong Kong identity card number. This includes prepaid cards that have long been sold in the city without the need for personal identification. After nearly a year of the government’s drive to promote the new rules, the deadline... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211027/why-hong-kong-requiring-real-name-registration-mobile-sim-cards-heres-what-you-need-know-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211027/why-hong-kong-requiring-real-name-registration-mobile-sim-cards-heres-what-you-need-know-about?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:00:01 +0000